Paint By Number
by AliceUnderSkies13
Summary: The stars are falling. White lines drawn in the midnight sky. They all play connect the dots. Human AU. Jackunzel, HiJack bromance.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I've been wanting to get into this fandom for a while now, so here we go xD. Hopefully, I will not embarrass myself.** **Here's a little info on this story:**

**This will be a Human AU, though I'm not sure what kind of humans Jack and Rapunzel will be. Pretty angsty and dark, with some fluffy moments mixed in. Pairings will be Jackunzel and some sweet HiJack bromance.**

**So here it is, an ambiguous prologue with a flirty Jack, a somewhat sassy Rapunzel, and a lot of questions waiting to be answered.**

**Enjoy and please review! :) **

* * *

The stars are falling. White lines drawn in the midnight sky. Rapunzel plays connect the dots.

Maybe "play" isn't the right word. More like "forces herself".

Green eyes link the stars. It's a boat. Small and swift, it sails towards the horizon. A ship that will take her far away from here, far away from what has happened.

A black curtain falls in front of the window. The stars are hidden from her now. Darkness swallows the room. But the arcade games are still on. Squares of light flicker on the floor.

Soft noises touch her ears. Beeps and digital jingles played in an endless loop. And another sound. His shallow breathing against her neck. Air slipping through his teeth is torture to her eardrums. Every inflation of the lung and flutter of the heart, she hears it. It kills her.

She hears it and holds her breath. Because every heartbeat could be his last.

Blood is spread thick across white skin. A blue sweatshirt, dusted with snowflakes, is slowly turning red.

A knife lies broken at her feet; a frying pan is dipped in blood.

This night is dying. Stars are falling and Punzie is crying.

Punzie, that's what he always calls her. Grabbing her by the waist and making her blush is his favorite thing.

She remembers them. The whispers in her ear…

* * *

"Punzie, guess who?"

"I know it's you, Jack." Roll of the eyes, curve of the lips. "Now let go, I'm busy!"

"Just trying to make this exciting." He squeezes her tighter and nips playfully at her ear.

"And how is this not exciting? It's spray painting." She tries to shake him off, trying even harder to feign anger. But the blush always prevails.

"You're joking, right? The way you spray paint isn't the most fun thing in the world."

She can't help but roll her eyes again. "I need silence so I can concentrate. Besides, you're only saying that because you suck. Be honest…come on."

Now she's teasing him back. This always happens. He pokes and prods at her heart. It's a red balloon and he pops it with that clever smile and ice blue stare.

"Hey, I'm not that bad. Spray painting just isn't my thing."

"Drawing on frost covered windows, now that's your thing."

"Now you're making fun of me, Punzie."

She shakes her head and the paint can at the same time. "No, I'm being serious. I've seen you. You're really good."

He looks skeptically at her, raising his eyebrows.

"I swear, Jack."

White hair falls into his eyes as he nods.

There's no question. She swears it. That's enough for him.

"Thanks, Rapunzel."

She feels his breath against her neck. Cold like ice. But he's not cold inside, Rapunzel knows that.

"Now spray painting is definitely your thing, Punzie. Look at that wall, it's beautiful."

Red brick is painted yellow and purple. A sun over a late evening sky.

"But what is it, exactly?" Jack rests his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm not really sure. It's something I saw in a dream." She sprays a bit of paint into the air. Yellow dots floating in the silence. "I just feel something whenever I see it. Like it's meant for me…I don't know."

"Well, you'll figure it out." White fingers cut through the cloud of yellow. Almost like he can see every drop and feel the wet paint. "Just like you said about my memories, 'when they want to come back, they will'. So when the sun wants to reveal itself, it will."

"That was almost poetic, Jack. Very impressive."

She laughs, he grins, and then he tilts her face toward him and kisses her on the lips…

* * *

Rapunzel remembers that kiss. Soft and cold. Snowflakes dancing on her tongue. Everything about him is so…wintry. But he's warm inside, she knows that. She wants to light a lantern with him and send their love to the stars. And the lantern can be the ship that takes them away from here, away from all that's happened. Green and blue eyes can trace the pattern in the sky, play connect the dots until the sun rises again.

Suns on a field of violet, long fingers stretching across the brick like shadows.

Shadows on the floor, the black floor covered with those boxes of flickering light. Light from the arcade games and pinball machines. Machines outside, rolling across the streets with their sirens blaring. Blaring sirens looking for them. Them, Jack and Rapunzel, hiding in the dark arcade.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers so far. Honestly, I'm not sure where this is going, but it's an illegal amount of fun to write, so let's continue on this insane RotBTD adventure together and see where we end up xD. I assure you, this is a Human AU fic, but they might not be normal humans, exactly...**

**Anyways, enjoy and please review :). **

* * *

The stars are falling. White lines drawn in the midnight sky. Jack plays connect the dots.

It's a boat. Small and swift, it sails towards the horizon. A ship that will take him far away from here, far away from what he is about to do.

He sighs and looks up at the moon. "I don't know if you can hear me…well, I'd like to think that you can." A quick laugh. Icicles trembling on a branch. "But, please, just let this work. Keep Punzie safe…"

"Talking to the moon again, Jack?"

Smiling, he rolls his eyes. "Don't make fun. You talk to that keychain like it can hear you. What is it again, a gecko?"

"Chameleon." Rapunzel comes up beside him, running her hands through her long hair. "And it's important to me, you know that. I found it when I was—"

"I know when you found it, Rapunzel." His voice is soft. "You don't have to talk about it. I know how much it hurts…"

The moon is round tonight. He feels the light. Full and clear.

No more of this, he has to be happy. Happy for her sake.

His grin is wide and toothy. "But forget I said anything. Let's talk about fun stuff."

She punches him in the arm. "Always the funny one. You make anything fun, even breaking the rules."

Moonbeams on her face. On her lips, her hands. On the pier with its rotten wood that shines like ice. Jack takes it all in.

Because this moonbeam could be the last to touch her face.

Once inside, the darkness will swallow them whole.

But darkness is everywhere, isn't it? Under your bed, in your soul, in an abandoned boathouse at the edge of a city.

That's why they're here, isn't it? To enter all three of these places. The boathouse is real and it stands beside them.

Jack will stall. He'll look at the moon, watching as its phases change.

Full moon means good luck. So maybe they should go inside.

He's been submerged in the waters of his mind. Her voice goes floating by. "…even breaking the rules."

"Breaking the rules? How old are we, five?" The grin is still there, but it is stapled onto his face.

Fake.

She crosses her arms. Everything is always a joke with him. "I'm not an idiot, Jack. I'm aware that what we're doing is illegal, and practically suicide. But we have to take a leap of faith, you told me that yourself."

Moonbeams feel weaker all of sudden. It can sense his hesitation, the doubt in his heart. He feels slightly lightheaded.

"I'm almost one hundred percent positive I never said 'leap of faith'." A white finger gestures towards the sky. "Faith in what, the moon?"

They're gone. Bright lights vanish and the wood is no longer shining. Just rotten. The star field starts to turn and Jack squeezes his eyes shut.

"How can I have faith in anything if no one has faith in me?"

He can feel her green eyes on him. She's relentless with that stare. "I believe in you, Jack."

What is it? A laugh, a groan, a cry? Something slips through his teeth and the grin falls off his face.

"You know who else said that? Hiccup. And look where that got him. Locked up in some boathouse with people who are probably scaring the hell out of him right now!"

He's screaming at her. He never screams at her. Never ever.

Where did the boat go? Where are the stars that connect their eyes to heaven? To him, the moon?

"He believed in me, Rapunzel. And now he's in danger. Real danger. He could die! And then it would be my fault, and I could never, ever forgive myself. I might as well—"

He is cut off by a frying pan.

Rapunzel puts all of her weight behind it. Smack, right into his arm. Like the day they first met, except then she had hit him in the head.

"What the hell!?" He rubs his arm and hisses through it teeth. Geez, that really stung.

"Shut up already." She tucks the frying pan under her arm and goes back to twirling her hair. "Your negativity is killing me. And it's hurting you, literally."

"How so?"

"You feel it, I know you do." Her green eyes soften. Pools of wax amidst a flame. "The moon won't shine if he thinks you doubt him."

"You think it's stupid whenever I talk to him..no, the moon. I meant to say the moon. I don't feel like playing games, Punzie."

"Jack doesn't want to plays games? That's something new." Slight smile. She's so pretty when she smiles. She grabs his arm. "Stop acting so serious, you're making me nervous. And I don't think it's stupid, I swear. I just want you to have hope right now."

Fingers tighten around his wrist. Fingers that sew and bake and flip yellowed pages. She can do so much. "'Hiccup's alive, I know it. 'He' knows it, and he's trying to share his light with you. Accept it. Let yourself go."

"Bold words coming from someone who's such a stickler for following the rules." He can't help it; he snaps friskily at her ear and buries his face in her hair. Such a wonderful smell, flowers and saltwater and summer wind.

"They're meant to be broken. At least, according to you they are."

The frying pan hits her shoulder. She's ready. Standing on the pier, her weapon poised, she's ready…at least, she thinks she is.

Besides, it's time she did a little rescuing.

Hiccup waits inside. Jack's got her hand. The moon is on their side.

This will be the best night ever.

"Now, let's go." She flips the frying pan over in her hands. "You get Hiccup, but remember, Flynn is mine."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok, guys, I am just letting my mind go and allowing my fingers type, and this is what comes out (haha). The chapters are relatively short for this fic, so it may seem like it's taking a while to unravel this little mystery. But hey, that's part of the fun, right? xD This is turning into a Human AU with possible supernatural powers being involved? Wherever this is going, hope you like it.**

**Enjoy and please review :). **

* * *

The stars are falling. White lines drawn in the midnight sky. Hiccup plays connect the dots.

But he can't see the stars. He is laying face first on the floor.

So he plays connect the dots in the dust. Running his fingers across the wood, he imagines a different world. Dragons, fire, he draws it all.

Puddles of blood beneath his skin. Red is slowly turning to black as the door closes. No, don't close. Hiccup grits his teeth. Fingers clench in the dirt. Black soil beneath cracked nails. He struggles to keep his eyes open. But it's all so dark.

Edges of his vision fracture. Yellow and purple shards. Rapunzel spray paints with those colors sometimes. A sun against an evening sky.

Where has the sun gone? Swallowed by the night.

Where are the stars? Swallowed by the night.

The night is furious. It tugs at his eyelids. Deep inside, he remembers the words that come to him in the dark.

_Night…Fury…_

Some nights, he hears them. They drift through the window and rustle the curtains. He pops up, hitting his head on the top bunk.

Hiccup is tangled in sheets and insomnia.

The words are voiceless. No sound, just letters in his brain. He sees them with his waking eyes. So he lays there for hours, unraveling all possible interpretations. A name, a place, a sign, a warning.

But what is it, really?

Jack laughs at these "imaginary words". He twirls his knife in his hand. "That's stupid, Hiccup. You aren't hearing anything."

"I already explained this to you. I am not 'hearing' anything. I see them with my mind's eye." He sighs and rolls onto his back. These conversations always happen early.

The morning comes out of the darkness, dripping.

Their room is small. Rapunzel on the top bunk, Hiccup on the bottom. Jack always sleeps on the floor. There is a small futon, but no one ever sleeps there.

Lying in bed, he imagines another world.

"Uh, Hiccup? You're spacing out, buddy." Jack hovers over him. The tip of his nose brushes Hiccup's forehead. He feels so…cold.

"Do you have to get so close? I'm trying to think."

"Fine, I'll leave you to your 'thinking'." There's that laugh. Always obnoxious. Jack gets up and kicks him in the leg. "But you know how much I love prosthetics. Pretty hot if you ask me!"

Hiccup rolls his eyes. "Why don't you tell Rapunzel that? Maybe she could get a fake arm, leg, maybe a prosthetic face? I'm sure she'd love that."

Jack's thinking: there's that smile. Always trying to hide.

"I'm sure she would. Later."

A square of light flickers on the floor. Right before he leaves, Jack tosses the knife. "Think fast, Hiccup."

Seriously? He does this all the time.

Hiccup doesn't remember being weak. But he knows that he wasn't always a good fighter. Like the Night Fury, the words come into his mind.

So when he dodges the knife, there's a little doubt.

It's flying. Seconds before it hits the wall. Not again, not another hole.

Hiccup grabs it by the handle.

No one is surprised. No one ever is.

Except for him.

Jack grins. "Lucky catch. By the way, Punzie's making breakfast. So come out in five, ok?"

"Sure."

The door squeaks when Jack leaves.

Hiccup leans over the bed. "Oh and let Toothless out! She needs to stretch her legs!"

Jack's voice sounds far away. "Whatever!"

The cat comes to mind. Hiccup found her half-dead in an alleyway. Her teeth are missing; therefore, she is "Toothless".

Just like the words that come at night, that name makes him nervous. Something is there. Rapunzel feels it.

Paintings of the sun adorn the bedroom walls.

Jack won't admit it.

But he still cut a hole into the roof so he can look at the moon.

Hiccups knows it. He'll find it.

He looks at the door, slowly closing.

No, no, no. Don't leave, Jack. Don't let the door slam.

Stay open, stay open…

His eyes obey. Gasping, Hiccup sits up. Where is he?

Wooden floorboards and layers of dust. Boats creaking on the water. The boathouse. Where he has been for the past twenty-seven hours.

Hiccup knows for a fact that twenty-seven hours have passed.

Sunlight streams in from a hole in the roof. A sundial isn't hard to make. But it's night now, and time doesn't matter.

He takes a deep breath and examines the environment. Hands are bound by rope. The prosthetic foot and shin are still there, thank—

Thank who? Green eyes widen in the dark. There's no one else here, just him.

It's ok. He can find a way out of this. Surrounded by scrap wood and broken nails, he can find a way. First, to cut the rope.

He crawls over to an exposed nail.

Kind of looks like a tooth in the darkness.

A wry smile, and then he gets to work. He can feel the blood seeping into the clothes. Where's it coming from? Blood from the floor?

Warm blood suddenly going cold. His blood hardening on the wood. If only the sun was out, then he would see his reflection in the waves.

Lines of red running down his face. A deep gash below his hairline.

Beneath the moon, he sees none of this. That is one good thing about the dark.

He continues cutting. The nail is dull. With every breath, he grows impatient. He wants to get out of here, see Toothless again and work on his latest invention. He wants to see the sky and play in the sand on the beach. Rapunzel and Jack will run barefoot through the shallows.

Then Jack will pull him into the water and Rapunzel will splash them both. A water fight will commence. And when the sun finally sets, they'll lie on their backs and look for the stars. Rapunzel will make wreaths out of pink flowers.

_You'll get there, just focus, Hiccup._

Stupid nail, why won't it work? Gritting his teeth, he speeds it up.

He can't help it, his mind is always wandering. As he cuts, he thinks. This entire ordeal could have been avoided.

The three of them are stupid kids. Orphans living in a ratty apartment, they never have to own up. Jack can steal and draw on people's windows in the middle of the night. Rapunzel can graffiti walls and let her paint cans rolls across the floor. Hiccup can test his inventions, break a window or two.

No responsibility.

Flynn was never any help. Like Toothless, Hiccup found him half-dead in an alleyway. He is a thief, so, naturally, he and Jack get along very well.

Got along…that's a better phrase.

Because Flynn hasn't lived with them in weeks. He got up and left one day.

Turns out that you can never really get out of a gang.

Hiccup feels like he knew it all along.

So his capture wasn't really a surprise.

Jack, Rapunzel, Flynn, and himself. Just four kids tangled up in a mess.

Sheets and insomnia.

Confusion and regret.

Flynn isn't a bad person, Hiccup knows this. He will try to find Flynn on his way out. If he ever gets out.

No worries. Jack and Rapunzel are on their way. This entire thing is probably a game to them. Jack with his knife, Rapunzel with her frying pan.

Is Hiccup smiling or grimacing?

Sweat drips down his cheek. "Just…a…little…more."

The rope snaps. Voices start screaming in the distance.

Perfect timing.

Hiccup staggers to his feet, running his hands across his face. Fingers part. His green eyes are wide.

Did he just hear a gunshot?

"My…friends."

He's never liked total darkness. It hides the truth. But right now he feels it enveloping his heart and mind, and he doesn't really care.

Words form inside his head.

A voiceless phrase.

_Night…Fury…_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: And the wild ride continues. I have way too much fun writing fighting scenes, whatever ^^". Well, enough mindless ranting, hope you enjoy. Thanks to my reviewers/readers so far. I really appreciate it :). Please review!**

* * *

They say nothing.

What the signal is, Rapunzel doesn't know. A wink, a tilt of the head, a bend of the finger?

It's unspoken. She stares at Jack, waiting.

The pier creaks each times she moves.

A deep breath. Her lungs are elastic.

CREAK.

Jack feels her breathe. The threads of his life go two ways. Vertical, towards the moon. Horizontal, towards Rapunzel. And the threads are braided like her hair, like the ropes tying the boats together, like the leather bracelet Hiccup gave him long ago.

Hiccup.

He swallows hard.

CREAK.

They need to go inside already. The wooden doors are swaying in the breeze. Jack spins his knife in his hand.

CREAK.

"Punzie, let's go."

"Ok. I was just…waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

Hand in her pocket; she clings to the chameleon keychain. "For a sign, I don't know. We just have to be careful. Too early, too late, either of these could screw us all."

"No one's getting screwed tonight." He taps the knife against his teeth. The pier creaks again. "At least, not until after this rescue mission is over."

Raise of his eyebrows, swipe of his tongue across the blade.

Rapunzel rolls her eyes. "I swear, everything's a joke to you. Focus. Hiccup is waiting."

"Give me a break. He's probably already broken free, built a tank out of spare parts, and he'll be blasting those doors down in a few seconds." The knife keeps spinning. The pier keeps creaking.

The hell is wrong with this pier? Enough, already.

Rapunzel hooks the keychain around her finger. "Let's just go, Jack. I'm getting a bad feeling."

"All right."

Beneath the moonlight, the blade is pure silver.

Rapunzel holds her breath. Jack grits his teeth.

They hold hands.

There is no signal.

They just start running.

CREAK. CREAK. CREAK. CREAK.

Shut up, shut up you stupid pier.

No, stop it, Jack. The creaking is a rhythm. Rhythm of a heartbeat. Blood pounding in your ears. Blood is life, whether it's inside your veins or out. Your footsteps are the beats. The pier is your vein.

Jack be nimble.

Jack be quick.

Jack hits it with a well-aimed kick.

Jack growls and kicks the door open. No one ever hears him. He's invisible. So he screams into the darkness.

"Hiccup! Get your sorry—"

"Get down, you idiot!"

Rapunzel tackles him. They fall behind a stack of crates. Voices start screaming.

People move within the shadows. Jack's never liked total darkness. The feeling is fresh pitch against his skin. Or maybe that's just Rapunzel lying atop him.

She hisses in his ear. "What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed!"

It's difficult to hear over the shrieking shadows.

"Relax, I know what I'm doing!"

He can hear them coming. Screaming into the darkness…never a good thing to do.

Because now the darkness is answering.

The knife is in his hand. Jack grabs Rapunzel and kisses her. The kiss is hard and violent.

Icicles on her tongue.

"You go to the right. I'll take the left. Ok?"

"Ok."

It's quick. She jumps up and pulls him to his feet. Then she dives over the crates, ready to fight.

A human face comes out of the shadows.

Jack rolls over the wood and stabs a widened eye.

Stream of blood against his face. Crates break. Voices yell.

His hand is empty. Rapunzel's fingers are gone. She is off to the right somewhere. The sound of her frying pan makes him smile.

But only for a moment.

Someone punches him in the nose. Not so nimble, eh, Jack? Slide away like he's on ice. Slit a wrist, roundhouse kick a stomach, backflip and elbow a throat.

He weaves through the shadows. There are so many of them.

He hears Rapunzel scream. "Flynn? Are any of you Flynn?"

She sounds almost hopeful.

There's no answer.

Even if Flynn was here, would he say anything?

"Yes." Jack might as well say it aloud. No one is listening. "Yes, he would."

They keep fighting. Gang members are hitting gang members. No one can see in this darkness. Jack and Rapunzel slam into each other. He feels her hair on his neck. They fight back to back.

Their fingers find each other and he rolls her across his back. A sharp crack as the frying pan hits its mark. Back and forth. This is endless.

Their bones are aligned. Her shoulder blade slotted into his back. His humerus reaching for her ulna. Blood drips down their skin. Whose blood is it?

Jack doesn't care. As long as it's not _hers_, he doesn't care.

Rapunzel doesn't care either. As long as it's not _his_, she doesn't care.

Her hair is sticky with blood. Droplets line each strand. Like a spider web after a rainstorm.

A click catches her attention.

A gun?

Someone has brought a gun to knife fight. This isn't fair.

The muzzle is behind her, aimed at Jack.

Oh, Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Don't get shot by this stupid prick.

But he cannot see into the shadows.

"Jack!" Rapunzel tries to turn around. He grabs her arm.

Hair slaps his face. He holds a strand between his teeth and stares at the muzzle.

It's funny. He feels the bullet before he hears the gunshot.

Such a small piece of metal. It burrows into his shoulder. Rapunzel is behind him. There's no way that bullet is hitting her. Time is nice for a moment. Somehow, he throws her out of the way.

She hits the floor, mouth open as blood splatters. The switchblade falls beside her. The blade is broken.

"J-Jack…no…" Shaking fingers grab the pieces. They cut into her skin. "No…go back together. S-Save what's been lost…"

Forcing them together won't work. Broken things are called "broken" for a reason.

Jack staggers over her legs. He's still conscious, grasping his shoulder as blood leaks out. Seconds move by too quickly. There isn't enough time to speak, to breathe. Their fingers interlock for a moment.

It's hard to hold on. His hand is so slippery.

A swarm of gang members, black shadows all around. Maybe the moon will save them with his bright light. Maybe the chameleon keychain will spring to life.

What idiotic notions.

This is death. Slippery fingers and shadows. Rapunzel keeps her eyes on Jack. He holds her hand as the fists and feet close in. Falling on her, he shields her body.

Jack cracks a smile into her hair. How strange, his coffin shall be a boathouse…

A shriek cuts through the shadows. The fists and feet stop. Jack hears voices.

"W-What the hell is that?"

"Do you see that thing?"

"A monster!"

Fear parts the shadow sea. The gang members scatter. Jack can see this "monster" now.

His eyes widen. From blood loss or something else?

A low growl. "Night…Fury…"

Jack grips his shoulder tighter. The leather bracelet is soaked through.

"Hiccup?"


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Some questions will be answered in this chapter, hopefully xD. I just had to throw in a little Kingdom Hearts reference pertaining to "seasalt ice cream". There's just something about people sitting on a ledge while eating this particular food; it always evokes a feeling of friendship in my head.**

**Anyways, before I go off on a seasalt ice cream tangent, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it and please review :). **

* * *

Let's play connect the dots. With the stars, with our minds, with everything that happens in a single night. The three of them have been playing nonstop. Rapunzel, Jack and Hiccup. Each of them a white star in the sky, falling towards the horizon.

Rapunzel's star is blinking like an eye. It's nervous and scared and itching to find its friends.

Jack's star is fading. But it will fight and claw its way up the sky.

Hiccup's star is going supernova. Maybe it's next to a black hole, being sucked into the darkness. Or maybe it isn't a star at all. It could be the black hole all along. A white dwarf collapsing and dying. It falls in on itself and becomes nothing.

Becomes everything.

Light cannot escape it. Light cannot enter it.

Nothing can affect the Night Fury.

That's what Hiccup is right now. The words that float around in his head, they are an actual thing, a monster. But what is it, really?

Hiccup feels power surging through his veins. Thick and black. It moves slowly. His vision is fringed in hazy darkness.

He drags his feet across the wooden planks. Voices scream in the distance. They're all muddled, like he's underwater. Words are felt, not heard. Ripples through his skin.

What is this? Some kind of dormant power hidden deep inside?

Is this the sleeping dragon roosting in his chest?

It rests its head on his heart. The long tail is draped across his ribs. Funny thing is, it's been there all along. Now it spreads its wings and invades his bones.

Hiccup scratches at his arms and face. He feels it inside him…literally and metaphorically.

But it doesn't make any sense, whatever it is.

His newfound power writhing within. Another step forward, and the dragon grinds against his ribcage. He grabs his head and tries to scream. But he doesn't scream, he growls.

And then he roars like the dragon.

Because he is the dragon.

The Night Fury. An unholy offspring of lightning and death.

Halfway through some kind of transformation, he makes his way across the boathouse. His fingers are claws, his teeth are sharp. There isn't enough power, the darkness is receding from his heart. So he pushes forward and bursts through the doors.

Through the haze of blood and pain, he sees it. A group of shadows crowding around a boy and a girl. Locks of golden hair spill across the floor.

Blood drips down the boy's forehead. His blue eyes are wide. A line of red cuts his face in half. His lips move.

Hiccup doesn't know what he's saying. But he sees the leather bracelet and knows who it is.

"JACK!"

Now the shadows are screaming. They're running, trampling each other and dropping their guns. Hiccup claws at the door and pulls himself through. Trying to get to Jack.

The blood is pouring down his arm. It's bright red in Hiccup's eyes. Primal instincts take over. His first impulse, rescue his friend.

Save him.

Save Jack.

He reaches for him. Across blood, nails, and broken glass. "Jack!"

What does Jack see?

Something that looks like Hiccup, but at the same, doesn't. It's a person etched in shadow, with claws for fingers and protruding fangs. A partial transformation. Sick, disturbing, but Jack knows who it is.

"Hiccup?"

The response is an angry growl. Sounds like he's choking.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

Rapunzel grabs his arm. "Jack, you have to get out of here! You're bleeding everywhere!"

"Shut up, I'm fine!" He struggles to escape her grasp. "Hiccup, listen to me! What did they do to you?"

He reaches for Hiccup.

Rapunzel grabs him from behind. "Calm down! You're losing too much blood! Just make a run for it, Hiccup and I will be fine!"

"Stop playing the hero!"

"Jack, I…" Her eyes widen. "They're coming back! Get up, get up!"

"No, I'm not—"

BANG.

A gun just went off. The gang members are hiding behind wooden crates. Barricaded, they take aim.

Jack kneels on the floor, his fingers reaching for Hiccup. Rapunzel has her arms wrapped around his chest. Hiccup stands in front of them. His head lolls. Darkness spirals around him.

It's a brief moment in time. The moon shines through the hole in the roof. Beams light the floor on a fire. A white and blue fire that covers them all. Blood drips onto the wood. Jack pants. Rapunzel tries not to cry. Hiccup breathes like a wounded animal.

Then it's shattered.

BANG.

Someone shoots Hiccup in the head. Red splatters across the floor, across the wooden crates. Jack and Rapunzel scream.

Hiccup hits the floor.

And when he gets back up, that's when all Hell breaks loose. Guns are firing, people are yelling. Rapunzel staggers to her feet, pulling Jack up with her. In the middle of the crowd, she tries to break free.

Arms waving, feet tripping. Hiccup is roaring and…

Oh God, he's killing them.

Gang members fall. Flies swatted out of the air. Before Jack passes out, he's sees his friend. Hiccup's eyes look red in the moonlight.

Or maybe that's just their color now.

Red eyes, and then Jack is gone.

He's still gone as Rapunzel cradles him in her arms. Sitting in the dark arcade, she wonders what happened tonight.

After leaving the boathouse, Rapunzel dragged a half-conscience Jack through the streets. A trail of blood followed her.

Cops were already swarming the docks. The sound of gunfire was heard all over the city. What happened to Hiccup and Flynn, she didn't know. She had other things to think about. Like how she was going to fix Jack and keep him alive.

So she went to the only safe place she could think of. The arcade is easy to break into at night.

Sirens are still blaring as she buries her face in his hair. Squares of light still flicker on the floor. Everything is still happening.

But what this "everything" is, she can't tell. What the hell happened to Hiccup? And what happened to Flynn?

"Just stop it. Stop thinking like that." She hugs Jack harder and tries not to listen to his heartbeat. Then she whispers into the dark. "Please, change the fate's design. Please…help us."

The keychain is still hooked around her middle finger. It is cold against her sweaty palm.

The arcade is pretty hot. A lack of A/C and the hum of machines makes her pant. Good thing she took her shirt off a while go. She used it as a makeshift bandage for Jack.

If he woke up now, he'd be eyelevel with her bra.

She manages a smile. Stupid Jack. He would pull at the straps and try to make her blush. He'd probably say something like, "What're you blushing for, Punzie? Purple is my favorite color."

And then she would say, "No it's not. Stop messing around."

And then he would go to kiss her and his hair would get tangled in the straps and they would roll onto the floor, laughing.

That won't be happening anytime soon.

Rapunzel strokes Jack's bangs. She blankets him with her hair. If he was awake, he would pull her locks around him like a jacket. He loves her hair.

Each golden strand will turn red.

She looks at nothing, fingers on his pale face. Thoughts swarm. Butterflies in spring. She thinks about her life, all of their lives.

The three of them are orphans. Jack, Hiccup, and her.

Once, she lived with an abusive mother. She lived on the top floor of a ratty apartment building. Her mother never let her leave. The world was a stranger. Broken mirrors on the walls. Broken hairbrushes on the floor. Long fingernails dug into her wrists. Her mother was livid, telling her she would never leave. Then it happened.

Walking backwards up the stairs was hard. Especially with a frying pan in her hand. Rapunzel almost lost her footing. She found the frying pan in the kitchen and grabbed it to defend herself. On the stairs, her mother lunged at her again, a shard of glass in her hand. Without thinking, she hit her mother in the face. Down went the long fingernails, down went the cruel words and bits of glass.

Her mother hit the floor and broke her neck. So Rapunzel ran. To survive, she stole from people and for other people. But she never killed. And she never went looking for a man to protect her.

Men were monsters. At least, that's what her mother had always said.

Rapunzel had long since forgotten those stories of men with sharp fangs, but she was still cautious. Leaning against a brick wall in the pouring rain, a man had offered her shelter. She stared and walked away.

Then she met Jack. He was…different, somehow. His first words to her were, "Don't look at me. I'm invisible." Someone who says that must be different. He was cold to touch. Warm deep inside.

They met in the dark arcade.

It was quite simple. He saved her from some pervert and they became friends. Nothing to it, really. His switchblade dripped with blood, his face hidden by the hood of his jacket.

"T-Thank you…you saved my life. I—"

He turned his head. "Don't look at me. I'm invisible."

"Not to me."

See? Nothing to it.

And then they met Hiccup. He literally fell out of the sky. They sat on a rooftop, eating seasalt ice cream and looking at the clouds.

"Look, I see a horse! What do you see, Jack?"

"Uhh, a bunny."

"Seriously, a bunny?"

"Better than a horse. Look over there, it's a—holy hell! It's a person!"

Jack was so quick, he beat her to it. He ran across the rooftops and found Hiccup lying face down in a dumpster. The trash bags broke his fall.

Why he fell from the sky, Rapunzel doesn't know. No one does.

Next came Flynn. Hiccup found him bleeding to death in an alleyway. Flynn never explained his wounds, not until it was too late.

A former gang member is never good to have around. Because, eventually, the other members will find him and try to kill him again. Or they'll do what Flynn's former "friends" did, kidnap someone else.

Poor Hiccup. Jack told him it was safe to go out.

A few weeks before the abduction, Flynn ran off. His note was short and sad:

Have to leave, they're looking for me.

Sorry for lying to all of you. But they'll hurt you if I stay…goodbye.

I'm really, really sorry, Rapunzel.

-Flynn.

Hiccup went to buy food for Toothless. He left and never came back.

Jack still feels guilty for telling him it was safe.

Rapunzel will feel guilty if Jack dies. He can't die. He's a part of her now. Part of her fate's design. Without him, she loses a piece of her heart.

Cracked into pieces like the surface of a frozen lake. She'll fall in and drown.

"Please…" She lays her head on his. Her hair falls across his bloody shoulder. "Heal what has been hurt…somebody, anybody. Save him. Bring back what once was mine."

And then her hair begins to glow.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I didn't know this single scene would be so long haha, but here it is. I'm still figuring this story out, but thank you to all who are taking this ride with me :). I'm itching to write some RotBTD drabbles, so if anyone has any prompts, feel free to PM me.**

**Enjoy and please review!**

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Pinball machines flicker like stars.

Stars shudder like eyes.

Eyes blinking in the darkness. Eyes wide open because the machines aren't flickering, the stars aren't shuddering. She's staring at her hair. It's glowing. Glowing. She doesn't even have time to ask what the hell is going on.

So Jack asks for her.

Her warmth has woken him up.

"The…hell? Punzie…your hair…look." He gestures with a bend of his fingers. Knuckles cracking.

Rapunzel can feel the bones rearranging. Each movement, each breath in his lungs. She wants to scream a millions things at once. Ask Jack if he's okay, tell him not to talk, tell her hair to stop glowing.

Why is it glowing?

Inside her head, she almost sounds like Flynn.

No, now isn't the time. Her brain is filled up with too many thoughts. The information isn't going in. Flynn, Jack, Hiccup, her mother. Why would she think about her mother? Panic dredges up memories she wants to forget.

She gasps as the glow encompasses more of her hair. It starts at the roots, then rushes towards the tips. A waterfall of gold. Hand over her mouth, she follows it with her eyes.

Jack moves against her. He swallows hard. The pain isn't too bad, but the colors are awful. Awakening from darkness, finding darkness. It's at the edge of his vision. Blurry. Beams of white shoot through the blinds. Red is splattered across his face. And the gold, so much gold. There is a river flowing beside him.

A river of golden sand.

Over his arm, his wrist, his body. The river brushes his cheek and he realizes that it isn't sand. It's hair.

Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Remember who has hair this thick.

Rapunzel.

He's tired and in pain. His body is heavy. But he grabs her hair anyways. Bloodstained fingers clutch a fistful of gold.

She yelps. "Jack, don't touch it!" She strokes his bangs, her hands shaking. "Go back to sleep, okay? I-I don't know what's going on!"

He laughs softly. Ow…be careful, Jack. Don't move your shoulders too much. He rolls his eyes.

"Screw it…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing." His usual grin, just not as mischievous. "I'm just telling myself to laugh. Screw pain."

There's that smile. Fleeting and finally gone. She gives a hollow laugh and leans over him. Noses touching, they look at each other.

Rapunzel wants to stay calm. She bites her lip and holds back the tears.

"I'm scared, Jack. My hair…it's—"

"Glowing? Yeah, I noticed."

"And you're still—"

"Bleeding? Trust me, I'm aware of that."

He feels her shiver with laughter. "Stop interrupting me. This is serious. I was just sitting here and my hair started…"

Those green eyes are so wide. Jack could get lost in them.

He smiles against her lips. "Relax, Punzie. Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Then it's fine. Everything's fine. Let's just see what happens."

She wants to smile. She really does. But the thoughts are swarming like butterflies. "It's not fine. You're not fine." Fingers cradle his jaw. "You need help and now this is happening. And I—"

Jack sighs. "Okay, I'm gonna interrupt you once last time. Relax. It's like a game, a mystery game. Let's wait and see what your magical hair does."

"Fine."

Rapunzel holds her breath as the glow moves along the rest of her hair. Inside their little cave, they watch the river of gold go by.

Jack thinks it's beautiful.

Rolling his eyes back, he can see her bra. Wow, she took off her shirt for him. He feels the material against his shoulder. His timing is always bad. Right now, he wants to comment on the shade of dark purple and how "snappable" the straps look. But she'll just call him a perv and accuse him of making light of a serious situation. So he keeps his mouth shut.

She better be prepared, though. Because after all this is over, he'll be on her like paint on a canvas.

And that's no exaggeration.

Rapunzel can't hear Jack's thoughts. Honestly, she can't hear anything right now. She is focused on the glow. The blonde tips are slowly turning gold…blonde tips draped across Jack's shoulder…blonde tips tinged with blood and tears and…

"It's gone."'

"Trust me, I know." Her voice is soft. She is staring at nothing. The glow is gone. "What happened?"

"Ran out of juice, I guess." Jack heaves a sigh and quickly kisses her cheek. "Well, that was uneventful. I'm gonna sit up now. I'd like to know where exactly we are."

She shakes her head and starts twirling her hair like she always does. "No, you can't! You're hurt. Please, Jack, don't!"

"Calm down, Punzie. I'm fine."

She's mothering him again. Of course, he would never accuse her of that. He struggles to get up, but she holds him down.

"No, you're not. Stay here. I'll look for help."

"Help from who? Let me go, Rapunzel!"

Whenever he uses her full name, he's either mad or afraid.

Which is it now?

"Let me go."

"No!"

"Rapunzel!"

"Jack!"

"Seriously, let go! I'm fine!" In one last effort, he tries to push her away. He's up, he's fine, and nothing hurts. "Wow, that was easier than I thought."

Rapunzel gasps. The makeshift bandage falls off his shoulder.

His shoulder…

It isn't bleeding.

"Jack, you're arm."

No answer. She watches him crack his neck, move his shoulder. Shirt ripped down the side, his bare shoulder blade is exposed. Skin sheened with sweat, the bones move beneath it.

White hair brushes his neck. He's testing his body, shaking his fingers and rolling his shoulder.

He rolls that bone over and over again. Almost as if he can see it in the socket.

No pain. He's fine.

Wait a second, Rapunzel's hair…

He turns to look at her. "Your hair healed me."

"What the hell?"

"My thoughts exactly."


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the kind of late update. I have a lot of stories to work on ^^". Anyways, this is quite an intense chapter (storyline wise) so get ready! Things are finally starting to come together...we are slowly connecting the dots. We are filling in each square of paint, creating the full picture as we "paint by number" xD. Ok, sorry for the really lame attempt at being funny lol.**

**Anways, enjoy and please review :). **

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Dreams turn to nightmares drawn by shadows.

And the hands that draw are pale and grey. Hiccup sees them in his peripherals. What is this, a dream? No, a nightmare. White horses are painted black beside him.

He doesn't remember much. A growing darkness in the core of his being. Edge of his vision shattering. Turning red as the shafts of moonlight hit the floor. A floor of wood. Broken planks lining the boathouse. That's where he was…a boathouse.

The kidnapping, it's all coming back. It was late. Sitting on the bunk bed, he watched the stars turn in the sky. Rapunzel had just cleaned the window. The glass was clear as ice.

A few weeks ago, Flynn left. A sad note was left behind. Wide-ruled paper stained with Rapunzel's tears.

"Why did he leave?"

A shrug. "I don't know. Someone is looking for him. He doesn't want to hurt us." Those wide eyes filled with tears. "Does it matter? He's gone now…he's gone."

Hiccup pulled at the leather bracelet on his wrist. He made three. One for himself, one for Jack. And the third—

But back to sitting on the bunk bed. Charting the stars with an unsharpened pencil. Ever since that farewell note, everyone had been on edge. Who was looking for Flynn? Some gang?

Rapunzel insisted that they all stay inside.

Jack said they were safe.

"Just go outside, Hic. Rider was an idiot, but he's gone now. Go outside. You'll be fine."

Gold hair spilled out across the floor. She was behind the door. Listening. The words that fell out of Jack's mouth hurt her. Flynn wasn't an idiot.

Isn't an idiot.

Hiccup left her there. Nails peeling the paint back. He wanted to go outside. Jack said it was safe. Night air swirled around him. Once he closed the door, he felt free. Infinite darkness stretching overhead. So many stars. The Milky Way was visible.

It's always been visible. Even though they live in a city, the stars come out to meet them. In their ship, they sail across the moon.

He wanted to leave that night. Board the ship that would have taken him far away from that place. But he never got the chance. Because he went outside and stepped beyond the bounds of safety. The shadows sensed that. Hands grabbed him in the night.

Pale hands. Grey hands.

They are here now. In this nightmare. They float and fall and crack and crumble. Ash pours into his hands. He watches it slip through his parted fingers.

"Where am I?"

Nightmares do not answer.

"Am I asleep? Dead? I need to know."

Someone laughs. Glass shards are scattered across the floor. Shivers run up and down his spine.

"Who's there?"

"How nostalgic. That is my favorite line." A voice descends like fog. "I love it when people say that. 'Who's there?' As if I would ever answer."

"Who are you?" Eyes dart across the…the what? The room, the space, the void of endless darkness. Hiccup is breathing fast. This world is unknown to him.

"It is not just this world." The voice comes again. This time it's stronger. Sharpened and digging into his back.

Beads of sweat form on his temple. Hiccup swallows hard. Fingers shaking. Head pounding.

The voice takes advantage of his silence. "There are other worlds that are unknown to you. Other places that are veiled in darkness and mystery."

"I don't understand. Why don't you just tell me where I am now?" Patience is wearing thin. Anger burns within.

Another laugh. Soft and cold. A spattering of icicles on a sidewalk. Almost reminds him of Jack.

"Fine. I'll tell you where you are. You, Hiccup, are in a dream. This is all inside your head. In reality, you are lying beneath a pier, face buried in the sand."

"Tell me what happened." A shaking body moves in circles, trying to find the source. He tries to keep his words strong. That warrior's instinct is taking hold. Where it comes from, he does not know. It is there now, pumping his blood through his veins. "Tell me why all of this happening."

"Hmm, what and why…you're full of questions. The first one, that is a good place to start. You were in a boathouse, Hiccup. You took care of your kidnappers and fled the scene. Then you collapsed beneath a pier."

He grits his teeth. "Sorry, but that's too vague. How I 'took care' of them, that's what I'd like to know."

"Then you should ask the right questions." The voice is angry. Fog grows dense. "But I'll give you another chance. You are young and confused. But you are not afraid, how…odd."

"Should I be afraid?" Waiting in silence. Chipped fingernails drawing lines in his palm.

Then:

"That's up to you. No one can truly make a person feel fear. No matter how hard they try."

Is there a twinge of sadness, a longing?

"Your lack of fear only intrigues me more. I have been intrigued by you for some time now."

"Hate to disappoint, but I'm not that intriguing." He stands in the middle of the black mist. The presence of grey hands still lingers. Escape. That is what he must focus on. "Just answer my questions or let me go. I'm tired of this game."

An enveloping sigh. Spider webs cover a tree and shelter it from the world. Bodies humming inside. Anger growing inside. Hiccup wants to crush that sigh beneath his feet.

It fades. "All right, you win. Listen, Hiccup, and I will tell you what is happening to you. You have an untapped power within you. A power that is not of this world. It is a beastly power, one that has been trying to escape for a long time. Am I wrong about that?"

Unknown reasons make him nod. A slow release, shoulders relaxing. "No…no, you're right. I have felt it before. Like some intense anger."

"And the words you see in the dark?"

His minds snaps shut. "How do you know about that?"

"Because I know what you fear, Hiccup. I know what everyone fears. I am fear itself. And in the late hours, my arm stretches across the city, looking for it. I find you there, wishing that the words and feelings would go away. You are afraid that this world is wrong for you. You ignore the thoughts half the time. Banish them to the back of your brain. But they are always there. Because you feel out of place here, almost as if you belong somewhere else. In another world. You friends saw you fall from the sky, didn't they?"

No, no, no. These thoughts are secret. All those nights lying as still as possible, thinking about the red throbbing in your chest and the difference between outside and in. No one can know. No one can ever know. Not even Jack.

"Your friends found you in a dumpster, didn't they?"

Yes, the trash bags broke your fall.

"You think...no, you know, that you do not belong here. You fear that you were discarded by another, so hated and so despised that you were banished from existence. This is your fear, Hiccup. And your fear is palpable. I feel it as I lurk beneath your bed."

"Who the hell are you!?" The scream rips his throat apart. He's ready to fight. But there's nothing to fight. Tears flowing down his cheeks are silent and tasteless. His fingers are covered with ash. "Just tell me who you are!"

"My." The fog clusters.

"Name." Deep and dark.

"Is." A human form, limbs and face put together by nothing.

"Pitch." Mouth full of teeth, eyes full of fear.

"And I am like you." This man, this creature, walks forward. "Banished to a world that is not my own."

Hiccup steps back. Eyes wide open. "W-What are you saying…"

"That you are from a different world, Hiccup."

Too many syllables. Too many words. Stop to process it for a moment. He is a machine on a blank page. Drawn with graphite, labeled with ink. He must be artificial, because none of this is real. Unreal thoughts do not pass through a real mind. Or do they?

"How…" Trying to look Pitch in the eye is impossible. He stares at nothing. "How did I get here then? And where am I from?"

Pitch shrugs. "I don't know where you came from. And I don't care. You didn't come from my world, I know that. But to answer the former question…" He smiles. Each tooth a needlepoint that jabs at his nerve cells. "You fell. Which is funny."

Hiccup can no longer speak. Knees struggle to stay upright. Silence is taken as another question.

"Why is it funny, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you." Pitch circles him. Some wraith haunting the fringes of his dreams. "It's funny because that's how the other three got here, as well."

Don't breathe. Don't move. Lips part. Blank and empty. "What other three?"

"Jack, Rapunzel, and Flynn, of course."

Nothing. There is nothing to say. Words are visible, crashing into him at the speed of light. Anger burns.

And somewhere outside this horrifying nightmare, three people move in the darkness.

A girl with healing hair. Each night, she dreams of a kingdom filled with suns.

A man with an old stab wound in his side. He is a thief and now he huddles beneath a pier, bruised and broken. Staring at the old friend that he just saw kill a dozen men. He followed his old friend here because he cares for him, all of them, and he wants to make things right.

A boy with white hair and blue eyes. His irises are snowflakes. He talks to the moon and he doesn't know why.

None of them know why any of this is happening. But to understand what is happening, you must understand what has happened.

Connect the dots between the four of them.

Because Pitch's words will always be there. Echoing.

"Jack, Rapunzel, Flynn, of course…not from this world. And neither are you."


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** **It's been a while, huh guys? I apologize. My muse for certain stories tends to play hide-and-seek with me. This is super short, I know, but it's rather poetic and it basically explains how everyone came to be in this strange town to begin with. I figured it would be better to clarify (most) things right now until I figure out what's happening next...things could possibly get very epic in the future idk.**

**So enjoy this little chapter (you guys deserve so much more!) Thanks for reading, and please, if you can, drop a review :).**

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Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived on the moon. He stood on the edge. Because you can see so much from there. Centers are too quiet.

Chipped nails grabbed white chalk. Dust fell into the sea. He connected the dots with wide eyes.

Out there on the edge.

Out there in the center.

They are the same. Deep within the folds of the Earth. Deep within the folds of space. You can be so close to the edge and yet so close to the center. Nothing is written down. There is no real center of the universe.

So when the boy looked over the edge, he didn't know.

Didn't realize that he was the center.

Center of his story.

He reached for the sea. Stars reflected in the still water. Angular constellations cut like scars. The ocean likes to harm itself. It cries and wishes that it could be the sky. The boy wanted to fall into the water.

He touched it. And then he was gone.

This is how Jack Frost was born. A spirit locked away inside the moon. In real life, he was a normal boy. Skating on an icy lake with his sister, he sacrificed himself for her. Casual games of save-my-sister's-life turned into hasty actions. He threw her behind him and fell into nothing.

Glass shattered around him. Water poured into his lungs.

It was scary. It was cold. Needles pricked his arms.

Drowning is a beautiful way to die. So is death by flames and endless falling. A person cocooned by the elements, water, fire, and air. The moon sees them and wishes them well.

The moon saw Jack and his sacrifice and brought him back to life. The moon unlocked its inner doors and set the guardian free.

And Jack Frost was born.

Jack be nimble.

Jack be quick.

Jack should check if the ice is thick.

But he didn't and he died. Brought back to life by the swollen moon, set on another course. His course was long. Hundreds of years alone turned into a moment of happiness.

Jack found a family. Jack found some friends. Jack fought a monster named Pitch. And that's where Jack ends.

In the heat of a fight, because he didn't want Sandy to die, he sacrificed himself again.

And again, Jack died.

But this time, he fell through time and space. Water became stardust. It wrapped around his fingers. Snakes coiling the pale arms and legs. White snakes, powdery and glistening beneath moonlight.

They trembled. Jack trembled.

Time tangled up his feet.

Pitch's darkness sucked him into a black hole.

Or maybe a worm hole.

A vortex filled with light.

No, not light. Nothing can escape a black hole. Particles of light flying through darkness. Hands twist it into a million bits.

Jack fell into nothing.

First, through ice.

Second, through water.

Third, through space.

Fast and straight. Almost as if he went through all of it at once. Droplets still clung to his body as he tumbled into this brave new world.

Something happened. Some kind of magic ripped him from his place and took him to another. He slid into the slot. A key in the lock.

Old things have a hard time accepting the new. The magic wiped his mind.

Magic takes a lot of things. It took Jack's memories, Hiccup's foot, Rapunzel's birthright, and Flynn's wife.

Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in Berk. In a place full of snow. Forever cold and dark. They were haunted by dragons.

But he wanted to see one.

Just one.

The Night Fury.

So he hurt one and saved one and kept one hidden. Drawing lines in the sand, he learned to dance.

Toothless was so like a cat. A big cat with wide green eyes. Together, they learned to fly again. Take to the sky. Touch it and let it wash over you. Clouds above and ocean below. Salt spray felt good on his skin.

Happiness cannot last forever. They were found. Friend torn from friend. How can a dragon be so kind? How can a Viking be so weak? A blonde girl stood close and told him to fly again.

So he did.

Hiccup flew. Hiccup saved his friend. Hiccup saved his family and his people. Hiccup died doing so.

Green mountains of a homeland. Brown cliffs of the sea. Everything faded away. Salt spray tasting like sour rain and the sun hitting the stratosphere. The blonde girl's grip lessened. And when he turned around, she was gone. He was gone.

Final battles have a way of killing the hero.

Finishing the monster means finishing yourself. Hiccup drowned in fire.

Hiccup, look to the sky. Hiccup, remember to fly. Hiccup, the air is so dry. Hiccup, it is time to die.

Toothless fell into the flames, his rider clinging to his back.

But the flames transformed. Flecked with black sand. Instead, they fell through time and space. Heat became stardust. It wrapped around their fingers. Snakes coiling the arms and legs. White snakes, powdery and glistening beneath moonlight. Human and dragon falling together. They fly together, so why not?

They trembled. Just like Jack.

Time tangled up their feet.

This dark fire sucked them into a black hole.

Or maybe a worm hole.

A vortex filled with light.

No, not light. Nothing can escape a black hole. Nothing can escape Berk, either. Particles of snow flying through the air, through your shuttered windows. Particles of light flying through darkness. Hands twist it into a million bits. Hands grab hail and shatter it. Or they try to, at least.

They fell into nothing, Hiccup and the Night Fury.

First, through prejudice.

Second, through hate.

Third, through space.

They came to their spots. But there was only one lock. No room for a second key. So space did more, panting and reveling in its work. It combined man and beast. Night Fury within a human, two living as one. Ripping away unnecessary parts. A tail, a leg. Pulsing with fire, they slid into their lock. Hiccup touched the sides with burning hands and cried.

He fell in a straight line. Felt nothing. Saw nothing. The dumpster kept him alive.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in Corona. A hop and a jump skip away. The kingdom was full of suns and paper lanterns.

Children painted the cobblestone with chalk.

Rapunzel was born with a gift. Gifts bring monsters into your room at night. Snatched and locked away, she sang for her life.

Unknowingly.

Uncaringly.

Immortal hands combed her hair.

Stop that. Don't touch her, you scum. Stop corrupting her innocence. Pulling petals off a flower is a sin.

She grew up, found her prince, and left the monster behind. Paint up to her elbows. Sunkissed grass and the sweet, sweet feeling of lights over the water. Dreams floating up to the sky. But monsters never really leave, do they?

Perfection has a way of being imperfect.

Happily ever after exists nowhere.

Darkness begets darkness. Whatever evil was in that sand found Rapunzel's monster. Mother Gothel crawled out of death. She killed her little runaway, and the prince, too. A frying pan dipped in blood. Darkness devoured them.

Like it always does.

Power wants only more power. Evil seeks its fellow man. And when the Nightmare King finds holes in space he uses them to break free. To call others to his place, that little land of nothingness. A kind of purgatory for dead ones who were somehow meant to live.

The prince was called, too. Flynn shielded his wife. Rapunzel cowered behind him.

They had fallen before. It was nothing new, to fail again. But this time, they fell through time and space. Blood became stardust. It wrapped around their fingers. Snakes coiling the arms and legs. White snakes, powdery and glistening beneath moonlight. Because the sun is dead.

They trembled. Just like Hiccup and Toothless.

Time tangled up their feet.

Death's appetite sucked them into a black hole.

Or maybe a worm hole.

A vortex filled with light.

No, not light. Nothing can escape a black hole. Nothing can escape a tower either. Illusions flying by the open window. Particles of light flying through darkness. Hands twist it into a million bits. The beloved mirror shatters behind them.

They fell into nothing.

First, through fear.

Second, through revelation.

Third, through space.

Rapunzel fell into a mockery of her old life. Space twisted her and shoved her into that lock.

Flynn fell aside, a piece of trash. He rolled in and out of her life just like that.

And neither remembered the truth. Love does not span time. Not like this.

Dropped hands. Cold eyes. Melting like snow, back into everyday lives. Except these lives were fake. Purgatory town for people unknown.

They live there now. Two of them huddling in an old arcade. One beneath a pier, waiting. One lost in a dream, the Night Fury quieting inside of him.

The Nightmare King reveals his plot. Hiccup's eyes snap open in the darkness.


End file.
